Welcoming Eid al-Fitr 1436 H

We are finally here, in the end of Ramadhan, welcoming the big day, Eid al-Fitr. There's a tradition here, in this small city where I live. In the last three nights of Ramadhan, people will put some bottle lamps in front of their houses and some fields. The lamps are made of an old stamina drink bottle, with a hole on the cap as the place for a burner. We turn on the lamps by filling the bottles with kerosene and using matches, make the little fire. In Gorontalo, it’s called Tumbilotohe. Mongondow people (an ethnic group in North Sulawesi) named it Tuntul (read as Tuntur with the dim ‘R’).

The field was ready decorated for eid prayer

Actually, I’ve lived in the city for a long time, more than 12 years. To be honest, this was my first time enjoying Tuntul by coming to the field. Usually, I just enjoyed Tuntul while passing through the street.

When I was a child, I was always happy when the Tuntul’s time comes. The neighborhood was usually full of children playing the lamps. We tried to attract others by letting our fingers passing through the fire and saying it’s a magic cause our fingers didn’t get burnt. Actually, it’s the fast move, so we exactly didn’t get burnt hahaha.

They formed some alphabets, but I didn't know what they're writing

I heard two stories about Tuntul. One said it’s to ease angels to find our houses in Lailatul Qadr or something like that. Another said it’s to lighten the people’s way to the mosque for i’tikaf in the past when electrical lamp didn’t exist. I don’t know which one is right, the second one is logic though. But, Tuntul  is just something I always miss from Ramadhan here, in my small city, Kotamobagu.

Last, I want to apologize you all the readers for all the mistakes I've made both in my blogging life and real life. May our good deeds can help us in our afterlife. Taqobbalallahu minna wa minkum, shiyamana wa shiyamakum. Eid Mubarak, friends!

xoxo,

Wardah